Why Kelly Peterson From Blue Bloods Looks So Familiar

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Bebe Neuwirth began her career on stage, with a particular focus on musical theater. Throughout the '80s and '90s, she appeared in Broadway shows like "A Chorus Line," "Sweet Charity," "Chicago," and "Damn Yankees," winning an impressive two Tony Awards in the process (via IBDB).

It was also in the '80s and '90s that she became known for playing Dr. Lilith Sternin in the "Cheers" television universe. An uptight, perpetually stoic, fiercely intelligent psychiatrist, Dr. Sternin was initially introduced as a date of Frasier Crane's (Kelsey Grammer) on the Season 4 premiere of "Cheers."

Per the book "Cheers TV Show: A Comprehensive Reference" by Dennis Bjorklund, Lilith was originally intended as a one-off character by the "Cheers" writers, and even Neuwirth herself didn't expect for the role to last beyond a single episode — she'd only auditioned for the part at all because she was staying in Los Angeles for the Tonys. But the writers loved Lilith so much that they brought Neuwirth back for Season 5 as a love interest for Frasier. The rest is history: The actor remained a part of the series' cast until the end of its run, won two Emmys for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, and reprised the role on the "Cheers" spin-offs "Wings" and "Frasier."